The Reformatory: A Novel

The Reformatory ends with the death of Warden Haddock, whose administrative reign will further be discredited by the exposure of his crimes. How might the titular Reformatory change to better fulfill its institutional mission? Can the Reformatory be reformed, or should it be abolished?

The concept of the reform school combines the functions of penal and educational institutions. How might this combination point to the limitations of our current educational system? In what ways does the educational system restrain the needs of present-day learners?

The Reformatory, set in the historical Jim Crow South, explores themes of racism, community, and resolution in the 20th century. How does the novel’s indictment of historical and institutional racism relate to contemporary manifestations of the same issue? What can Due’s novel tell us about the of oppression Black communities today?